KR20150032155A - method for manufacturing silicon flakes, silicon-containing negative electrode and method for manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing silicon flakes which includes steps of: contacting silicon substance to a processing machine having at least one polishing particle arranged to be fixed; and scratching the silicon substance along a moving path with respect to the processing machine to form silicon flakes having various particle sizes.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a silicon-containing negative electrode and a method for manufacturing the same,

The present invention relates to a battery material and a manufacturing method thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to an electrode material of a lithium ion battery and a method of manufacturing the same.

Recently, as 3C electronic devices have been developed, lightweight, mobile, high-energy batteries have attracted considerable attention. Among high-energy batteries, lithium-ion batteries are the most actively developed and widely applied to portable electronic devices. For example, smartphones are concerned not only with large color screens, but also with more complex functions such as taking pictures and listening to music. How to extend the life and capacity of lithium ion batteries has become an important issue.

In known technologies, commonly used cathode materials for lithium ion batteries are graphite-based materials such as graphite carbon materials. Since graphite-based materials have excellent charge and discharge properties and no dendritic structure is produced, graphite-based materials are more secure in performance. However, the structure of the negative electrode made of a graphite-based material is damaged by reverse insertion and separation of lithium ions after several charge and discharge cycles. Therefore, it affects the cycle of the lithium ion battery. In addition, the theoretical charging capacity of graphite is only about 372 mAh / g, and the development of lithium ion batteries is limited thereby.

There have been many studies to improve the cathode materials of lithium ion batteries. For example, silicon material is mixed into the cathode of a lithium ion battery. The theoretical capacity of the silicon material is approximately 4200 mAh / g, which is the highest of the materials applied to the cathode of a lithium ion battery. However, a phase change is generated by the reverse insertion and separation of lithium ions, thereby causing a volume expansion. The cyclic stability and the irreversibility of the silicon-containing cathode of the lithium ion battery are seriously affected because the volume expansion is too large.

The reduction of the particle size of the silicon material is one of the solutions for controlling the volume expansion. For example, the particle size of the silicon material is minimized in the range of 10-300 nm. While it is common to control volume expansion by minimizing the particle size of the silicon material to the nanoscale, silicon materials in the form of nanoscale particles are very expensive. In addition, the severe irreversible properties are also affected by the large surface area of nanosized particles. Significantly, nanoscale particles of similar size and shape tend to aggregate to form large particles, making the process of uniformly mixing the materials to form the cathode material more difficult.

Columnar silicon materials have been disclosed for reducing volume swelling. The particle size of the columnar silicon material is in the range of 10 탆 to 800 탆. The columnar silicon material is formed by a chemical process involving an etching step and a nucleation step. However, because the formed columnar silicon material must be removed from the substrate, the chemical method is costly and yields low. In addition, the particle size of the pillar-form silicon material is limited by the chemical method, and the consistency of the particles of the pillar-form silicon material enhances the pillar-form silicon material's integration. Thus, there is a need for a dispersing process for the columnar silicon material.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is conceived to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method for obtaining an environmentally friendly silicon material which is inexpensive, has a small volume expansion and can be controlled well.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a silicon flake includes the following steps. The silicon material is brought into contact with the machine tool. The machine tool includes at least one abrasive particle fixedly disposed thereon. The silicon material is scratched along the travel path to the machine tool to produce multiple silicon flakes with various particle sizes.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a silicon-containing negative electrode material of a lithium ion battery includes the following steps. The silicon material is in contact with the machine tool. The machine tool includes at least one abrasive particle fixedly disposed thereon. The silicon material is scratched along the travel path to the machine tool to produce multiple silicon flakes with various particle sizes. The silicon flakes are integrated to form a silicon-containing cathode of a lithium ion battery.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a silicon-containing negative electrode of a lithium ion battery is disclosed. A silicon-containing negative electrode of a lithium ion battery is produced by the above-described method. The silicon-containing negative electrode of a lithium ion battery includes a silicon flake and an active material. The amount of silicon flake is at least 5 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the silicon-containing negative electrode. The silicon flakes have various particle sizes ranging from 50 nm to 9 mu m. Bulk materials are graphite, metal elements or metal compounds.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a silicon-containing negative electrode of a lithium ion battery is disclosed. A silicon-containing negative electrode of a lithium ion battery is produced by the above-described method. The silicon-containing negative electrode is substantially composed of a silicon flake. The silicon flakes have various particle sizes ranging from 50 nm to 9 mu m.

The invention will be more fully understood upon reading the following detailed description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.
1 is a flow chart illustrating a method for manufacturing a silicon-containing negative electrode of a lithium ion battery according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 1A is a SEM micrograph of a surface of a silicon material scratched by a machine tool according to the method of FIG. 1, 20 times magnified. FIG.
1B is a SEM micrograph showing a 50-fold magnification of the surface of the silicon material of FIG. 1B.
FIG. 1C is a SEM micrograph showing a surface of the silicon texture of FIG.
2 is a SEM photograph of a plurality of silicon plates manufactured by the method of FIG.
Figure 3 shows the particle size distribution of the silicon flakes produced by the method of Figure 1;
4 is a schematic view of a silicon-containing negative electrode of a lithium ion battery according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a partially enlarged view showing the fine state of Fig.
6A is an SEM micrograph of a silicon-containing negative electrode of a lithium ion battery according to the first example of the present invention.
6B shows the coulomb efficiency and charge / discharge capacity vs. cycle number of the lithium ion battery according to the first example of the present 6a.
7A is an SEM micrograph of a silicon-containing electrode of a lithium ion battery according to a second example of the present invention.
FIG. 7B shows the voltage vs. capacity in the first cycle to the fifth cycle of the lithium ion battery according to the second example of FIG. 7A.
FIG. 7C shows the coulombic efficiency and charge / discharge characteristics versus number of cycles of the lithium ion battery according to the second example of FIG. 7A.
FIG. 8 shows the coulomb efficiency and charging / discharging characteristics versus number of cycles of the lithium ion battery according to the third example of the present invention.
9 shows Coulomb efficiency and charge / discharge characteristics versus number of cycles of a lithium ion battery according to the fourth example of the present invention.
FIG. 10 shows the coulomb efficiency and charging / discharging characteristics versus number of cycles of the lithium ion battery according to the fifth example of the present invention.

≪ Silicon-containing anode of lithium ion battery & Flake  Manufacturing method>

FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a silicon-containing cathode 700 of a lithium ion battery 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 1A-1C are SEM micrographs of the surface of the silicon material 400 after being scratched uniformly by the machine tool according to the method of FIG. 1, wherein FIGS. 1A-1C illustrate a 20, 50, It is an enlarged photograph. 2 is a SEM micrograph of a plurality of silicon flakes 500 produced by the method of FIG. FIG. 3 shows the particle size distribution of the silicon flakes 500 made by the method of FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a silicon-containing cathode 700 of a lithium ion battery 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The method for manufacturing the silicon-containing cathode 700 of the lithium ion battery 600 includes the following steps.

In step 100, the silicon material 400 is contacted to a machine tool, and the machine tool comprises a plurality of abrasive particles fixedly disposed thereon. For example, the machine tool may be a wire saw, a band saw, or a grinding disk. The abrasive particles may be diamond, artificial diamond, cubic boron nitride, silicon carbide, aluminum oxide or cerium oxide.

In step 200, the silicon material 400 is scraped along the path of travel A (see Figs. 1A-1C) relative to the machine tool to produce a silicon flake 500 with various particle sizes. The movement path A is a straight line. As shown in FIGS. 1A-1C, a large number of silicon flakes 500 are produced, and the silicon flakes 500 have various particle sizes. As shown in FIG. 2, the thickness along each short axis of the silicon flake 500 is 50 nm to 200 nm. Quot; shortening "means that each of the silicon flakes 500 is substantially an ellipse clay and has a thickness, and the minor axis is along the thickness direction of the elliptical flake. As shown in FIG. 3, the range of particle size of the silicon flakes 500 is approximately 50 nm to 9 μm, and the particle size of the silicon flakes 500 is concentrated in the range of 300 nm to 2 μm.

Further, the movement path A is not limited to a straight line. In another embodiment, the movement path A may be a curve. When the silicon material 400 is continuously scratched by the machine tool, the machine tool may scratch the silicon material 400 back and forth along the path of travel A, The material 400 may be scratched.

In step 300, the silicon flakes 500 are integrated to form the silicon-containing cathode 700 of the lithium ion battery 600. Thus, the manufacturing cost of the silicon-containing cathode 700 of the lithium ion battery 600 is reduced by the mechanical method for manufacturing the silicon flakes 500, and the problem of volume expansion is reduced by the particle size of the silicon flake 500 Shape discrepancy. In addition, the integration characteristics of the silicon flakes 500 are reduced due to the mismatch of particle size and shape of the silicon flakes 500.

In step 300, the silicon flake 500 is used to form the silicon-containing cathode 700 of the lithium ion battery 600, which is only one of the applications of the silicon flake 500. [ In other embodiments, the silicon flakes 500 may be used in the manufacture of other types of batteries.

≪ Method for producing silicon-containing negative electrode of lithium ion battery >

4 to 6A. 5 is a partially enlarged view showing the fine state of Fig. 6A is an SEM micrograph of the silicon-containing cathode 700 of the lithium ion battery 600 according to the first example of the present invention. 4, the lithium ion battery 600 includes a silicon-containing cathode 700, an anode 800, and a separator 900. The silicon-containing cathode 700 is opposed to the anode 800 and the separator 900 is disposed between the silicon-containing cathode 700 and the anode 800. The silicon-containing cathode 700 is manufactured by the above-described method. In particular, the silicon-containing cathode 700 includes a silicon flake 500, a binder 720, a conductor, and an active material 710. The active material 710 may be graphite, any kind of carbon material, metal element or metal compound. The metal element may be, but is not limited to, nickel, titanium, manganese, copper, magnesium and combinations thereof. The metal compound may be titanium carbide, silicon carbide or titanate, but is not limited thereto. In the first example, the active material 710 is graphite. The silicon flake 500, the binder 720, the conductor and the active material 710 are mixed in an appropriate ratio to form a uniform mixture and a uniform mixture is coated on the copper electrode to form the silicon-containing cathode 700 do. The entire material used in the lithium ion battery 600 may be LiPF ₆ , but is not limited thereto. The binder 720 may be CMC (carboxymethyl cellulose), SBR (tsyrene-butadiene), or PAA (polyacrylic acid). The conductor may be KS-6 or Super-P, but is not limited thereto.

The amount of silicon flakes 500 based on 100 parts by weight of the silicon-containing cathode 700 is at least 5 parts by weight. Preferably, the amount of silicon flakes 500 based on 100 parts by weight of the silicon-containing cathode 700 is from 5 parts by weight to 50 parts by weight. More preferably, the amount of silicon flakes 500 based on 100 parts by weight of the silicon-containing cathode 700 is 10 parts by weight to 20 parts by weight.

In the silicon-containing cathode (700), the silicon flakes (500) are dispersed between the active materials (710). The silicon material has a high theoretical capacity of up to 4200 mAh / g. However, the problem of volumetric expansion present in the silicon material puts the performance of the silicon material at risk. The problem of volume expansion was overcome by the particle size and shape of the silicone flakes 500 according to the present invention. The range of particle sizes of the silicon flakes 500 according to embodiments of the present invention is 50 nm to 9 μm and the thickness along each short axis of the silicon flakes 500 is 50 nm to 200 nm. As a result, the amount of volume expansion along the major axis direction (the direction of expansion is indicated by the arrows shown in Fig. 5) is reduced. In addition, each of the silicon flakes 500 has a larger surface for engaging with the binder 720. Therefore, the crack generation of the silicon-containing negative electrode 700 due to the volume expansion is reduced, and the capacity of the lithium ion battery 600 accordingly increases. In other words, both the capacity and lifetime of the lithium ion battery 600 are increased.

<Experimental result of lithium ion battery - Example 1>

6A and 6B. 6B shows the coulomb efficiency and charge / discharge capacity versus cycle number of the lithium ion battery 600 according to the first example of the present invention.

In the first example, the amount of silicon flakes 500 based on 100 parts by weight of the silicon-containing cathode 700 is equal to 12 parts by weight. In FIG. 6B, the capacity of the lithium ion battery 600 was measured by a battery automatic test system, and the model number of the battery automatic test system is BAT-750B. The charge-discharge test was performed for 40 cycles, and the charge-discharge test was performed with a fixed charge / discharge rate of 0.1 C and a cut-off voltage of 20 mV to 1.2 V. The relationship between voltage and time was recorded by a computer. 6B, the QE value in the first cycle is 77.7%. The charging capacity in the first cycle is 413 mAh / g, the charging capacity in the 37th cycle is 450.7 mAh / g, and the storage capacity in the 37th cycle is 108.9% at the maximum.

&Lt; Experimental result of lithium ion battery - Example 2 >

7A is an SEM micrograph of the silicon-containing cathode 700 of the lithium ion battery 600 according to the second example of the present invention. FIG. 7B shows the voltage vs. capacity in the first to fifth cycles of the lithium ion battery 600 according to the second example. FIG. 7C shows the coulomb efficiency and charge / discharge capacity versus cycle number of the lithium ion battery 600 according to the second example.

In the second example, the amount of silicon wafer 500 based on 100 parts by weight of silicon-containing cathode 700 is equal to 60 parts by weight. In Figs. 7B and 7C, the capacity of the lithium ion battery 600 is measured by the battery automatic test system, and the model number of the battery automatic test system is BAT-750B. 7B and 7C, the charge-discharge test was performed for 5 cycles, and the charge-discharge test was performed at a fixed charge / discharge rate of 0.1 C, a discharge cut-off voltage of 20 mV, and a charge cut- . The relationship between voltage and time was recorded by a computer. 7C, the QE value in the first cycle is 88%. The discharge capacity in the first cycle is at most 3627 mAh / g, and the charge capacity in the fifth cycle is still at most 2116 mAh / g.

<Experimental Results of Lithium Ion Battery - Example 3>

FIG. 8 shows the coulomb efficiency and charge / discharge capacity versus cycle number of the lithium ion battery 600 according to the third example. In a third example, the amount of silicon flakes 500 based on 100 parts by weight of the silicon-containing cathode material 700 is equal to 15 parts by weight. Particularly, the amount of the silicon flakes 500 based on 100 parts by weight of the silicon-containing cathode 700 is equal to 15 parts by weight, the amount of the active material 710 (here, the active material is carbon) is equal to 75 parts by weight, The amount of the binder 730 is equal to 10 parts by weight. In FIG. 8, the capacity of the lithium ion battery 600 is measured by a battery automatic test system, and the model number of the battery automatic test system is BAT-750B. In Fig. 8, the charge-discharge test was performed under a fixed charge / discharge rate of 0.1 C and a cut-off voltage of 20 mV to 1.2 V. The relationship between voltage and time was recorded by a computer. 8, the charge capacity in the first cycle is 517 mAh / g, the discharge capacity in the first cycle is 634 mAh / g, and the QE value in the first cycle is 81.5%. The charge capacity in the second cycle is 540 mAh / g, the discharge capacity in the second cycle is 598 mAh / g, and the QE value in the second cycle is 90.3%. The charging capacity and the discharging capacity in the 21st cycle are both 300 mAh / g or more. It is apparent that excellent capacity can be provided by the lithium ion battery 600 according to this example after several cycles.

<Experimental result of lithium ion battery - Example 4>

9 shows the coulomb efficiency and charge / discharge capacity versus cycle number of the lithium ion battery 600 according to the fourth example. In the fourth example, the amount of silicon flakes 500 based on 100 parts by weight of the silicon-containing cathode 700 is equal to 30 parts by weight. Particularly, the amount of the silicon plate 500 based on 100 parts by weight of the silicon-containing negative electrode 700 is equal to 30 parts by weight, the amount of the active material 710 (the active material of the present embodiment is carbon) is equal to 60 parts by weight, The amount of the binder 730 is equal to 10 parts by weight. In Fig. 9, the capacity of the lithium ion battery 600 was measured by a battery automatic test system, and the model number of the battery automatic test system is BAT-750B. In Fig. 9, the charge-discharge test was performed under a cut-off voltage of 20 mV to 1.2 V at a fixed charge / discharge rate of 0.1 C. The relationship between voltage and current was recorded by a computer. 9, the charge capacity in the first cycle is 860 mAh / g, the discharge capacity in the first cycle is 1015 mAh / g, and the QE value in the first cycle is 84.7%. The charge capacity in the second cycle is 878 mAh / g, the discharge capacity in the second cycle is 927 mAh / g, and the QE value in the second cycle is 94.7%. The charging capacity and discharging capacity in the 21st cycle are both 500 mAh / g or more. Excellent performance may be provided by the lithium ion battery 600 according to this example after several cycles.

<Experimental result of lithium ion battery - Example 5>

10 shows the coulomb efficiency and charge / discharge capacity versus cycle number of the lithium ion battery 600 according to the fifth example. In the fifth example, the amount of silicon flakes 500 based on 100 parts by weight of the silicon-containing cathode 700 is equal to 60 parts by weight. Particularly, the amount of the silicon plate 500 based on 100 parts by weight of the silicon-containing negative electrode 700 is equal to 60 parts by weight, the amount of the active material 710 (the active material of the present embodiment is carbon) is equal to 30 parts by weight, The amount of the binder 730 is equal to 10 parts by weight. In Fig. 10, the capacity of the lithium ion battery 600 is measured by a battery automatic test system, and the model number of the battery automatic test system is BAT-750B. In Fig. 10, the charge-discharge test was performed under a cut-off voltage of 20 mV to 1.2 V at a fixed charging / discharging rate of 0.1C. The relationship between voltage and current was recorded by a computer. 10, the charge capacity in the first cycle is 1726 mAh / g, the discharge capacity in the first cycle is 2086 mAh / g, and the QE value in the first cycle is 82.7%. The charge capacity in the second cycle is 1419 mAh / g, the discharge capacity in the second cycle is 1699 mAh / g, and the QE value in the second cycle is 83.5%. The charging capacity and the discharging capacity in the 21st cycle are both 600 mAh / g or more. Excellent performance may be provided by the lithium ion battery 600 according to this example after several cycles.

Table 1 Yes
Example 3 Example 4 Fifth example Amount of silicon flake (wt%) 15
30 60 cycle
The first cycle The second cycle The first cycle The second cycle The first cycle The second cycle Discharge capacity (mAh / g)
634 598 1015 927 2086 1699 Charging capacity (mAh / g)
517 540 860 878 1726 1419 Coulomb efficiency (%)
81.5 90.3 84.7 94.7 82.7 83.5

As shown in Table 1, the coulombic efficiency of the first cycle does not decrease as the amount of silicon flake 500 increases. When a micron-sized spherical silicone powder is added to the cathode of a conventional lithium ion battery, the Coulomb's efficiency in the first cycle decreases with the increase in the amount of silicon flake. The loss of coulombic efficiency in the first cycle can be suppressed by the particle size and flake shape of the silicone flakes 500 according to the present invention. When the amount of silicone flake 500 is as high as 60 parts by weight, the coulombic efficiency in the first cycle can be maintained at a high value of 82.7%.

According to the above-mentioned examples, the present invention has the following advantages.

First, the silicon flakes 500 are manufactured by a mechanical method, reducing the manufacturing cost and producing a discrepancy in the particle size of the silicon flakes 500.

Second, the problem of volumetric expansion is effectively solved by the various particle sizes and flake shapes of the silicon flakes 500.

Third, the integration characteristics of the silicon flakes 500 can be reduced due to the particle size and shape mismatch of the silicon flakes 500, and the capacity and lifetime of the lithium ion battery 600 can be effectively increased.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed herein.

400 ... silicon material 500 ... silicon flake
600 ... Lithium ion battery 700 ... Silicon-containing cathode

Claims (20)

Contacting a silicon material to a machine tool in which at least one abrasive grain is fixedly disposed; And
And scraping the silicon material along a travel path relative to the machine tool to produce a silicon flake having various particle sizes.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the movement path is a straight line.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the movement path is a curve.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the machine tool is a wire saw, a band saw or a grinding disk.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the machine tool comprises a plurality of abrasive particles fixedly arranged and the abrasive particles are natural diamond, artificial diamond, cubic boron nitride, silicon carbide, aluminum oxide or cerium oxide.
The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising the step of scraping the silicon material in a front, back, or one direction along the movement path.
Contacting a silicon material to a machine tool having at least one abrasive grain that is fixedly disposed;
Scraping the silicon particles along a travel path to the machine tool to produce a plurality of silicon flakes of various sizes; And
Comprising the step of forming a silicon-containing negative electrode of a lithium-ion battery by integrating a silicon flake to form a silicon-containing negative electrode of a lithium-ion battery.
The method of claim 7,
&Lt; / RTI &gt; further comprising the step of mixing the silicon flake with at least one active material.
The method of claim 7,
Wherein the movement path is a straight line.
The method of claim 7,
Wherein the movement path is a curve. &Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 &gt; 11. &lt; / RTI &gt;
The method of claim 7,
Wherein the machine tool is a wire saw, a band saw, or a grinding disk.
The method of claim 7,
Characterized in that the machine tool comprises a plurality of abrasive particles fixedly arranged and the abrasive particles are natural diamond, artificial diamond, cubic boron nitride, silicon carbide, aluminum oxide or cerium oxide. &Lt; / RTI &gt;
The method of claim 7,
Further comprising scratching the silicon material in a front, back, or one direction along a travel path.
The method of claim 7,
The silicon-containing negative electrode of the lithium ion battery is:
Silicon flakes and an active material;
The amount of silicon flakes is at least 5 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the silicon-containing negative electrode, the silicon flakes have various particle sizes ranging from 50 nm to 9 占 퐉;
Wherein the active material is graphite, a metal element or a metal compound.
15. The method of claim 14,
Wherein the metal element is tin, nickel, titanium, manganese, copper, magnesium and combinations thereof, and the metal compound is titanium carbide, silicon carbide or titanate.
15. The method of claim 14,
Wherein the amount of the silicon plate is 5 parts by weight to 80 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the silicon-containing negative electrode.
18. The method of claim 16,
Wherein the amount of the silicon plate is 10 parts by weight to 20 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the silicon-containing negative electrode.
15. The method of claim 14,
Wherein the thickness along each short axis of the silicon flake is between 50 nm and 200 nm.
The method of claim 7,
Wherein the silicon-containing negative electrode is substantially composed of silicon flakes, and the silicon flakes have various particle sizes in the range of 50 nm to 9 mu m.
The method of claim 19,
Wherein the thickness along each short axis of the silicon flake is between 50 nm and 200 nm.

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